Annie Comes Home: Tell Congress: Let’s ‘Stop Arming Cartels’ now!

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Tell Congress: Let’s ‘Stop Arming Cartels’ now!

Pamela: Violence erupted in Mexico this weekend after a Mexican military raid killed a powerful cartel kingpin. As the cartel responded by setting buses, supermarkets, and banks on fire and blocking highways, tourists were stranded and schools were closed. Dozens of people have been killed.[1]

The dark truth is that this violence is fueled by a flood of U.S. guns.

Weak U.S. gun laws result in an unlicensed market that pumps up to 500,000 U.S.-made guns to cartels each year. One study traced nearly 70% of guns recovered at Mexican crime scenes back to U.S. manufacturers or importers.[2]

This deadly 'iron river' of guns exacerbates violence and suffering across both borders. It's time to dam it up.

Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Joaquin Castro introduced the Stop Arming Cartels Act to curb cartel power and corruption. This bill isn't just about stopping international crime — it's about keeping people, on both sides of the border, safe. It deserves bipartisan support, and you can pressure your lawmakers to pass this urgent legislation by sending a message today:

Every weapon smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border strengthens cartels and makes us all less safe. Tell your members of Congress: Pass the Stop Arming Cartels Act to stop the 'iron river' now.

ACT NOW

Mexico's cartels indeed have heavy firepower. But what might surprise you is that Mexico only has ONE gun shop. It sits in the middle of a heavily guarded military base.

That means the cartels look elsewhere for their guns — and lucky for them, lax U.S. gun laws keep them readily available.

That includes their weapons of choice: Powerful .50-caliber rifles. These assault weapons are capable of downing military helicopters and ripping armored vehicles to shreds. The kicker? These military-grade guns can't be bought legally in Mexico ― they come from sellers in Texas, Arizona, and beyond.

It's not just the guns – it's the bullets, too. A recent New York Times investigation revealed that half the .50 caliber cartridges seized from cartels since 2012 have been traced to just ONE ammunition factory in Missouri.[3]

This unchecked flow of weapons makes everyone less safe. If we want to be serious about curbing the suffering, extortion, and violence impacting communities across both countries, we should start with the Stop Arming Cartels Act — the strongest effort yet to dam up this dangerous iron river.

This latest round of cartel violence likely won't be the last, but before new waves begin, we have a crucial opportunity to build enough support on Capitol Hill to get this bill signed and sent to Trump's desk. Can we count on you to help build momentum to stop the flood of U.S. firearms into Mexico?

Tell your lawmakers to pass the Stop Arming Cartels Act and help halt the deadly export of U.S. guns.

U.S. policies have an ugly history of driving instability and violence across the Western Hemisphere. Together, we can demand a better way forward.

This bill helps keep people safe. It's the kind of legislative solution that families, on both sides of the border, deserve. It deserves the bipartisan support that activists like you can help build.

Thank you for working for peace,
The Win Without War team